The Scorpion

In 2010 Kirk, 38 year old aerospace engineer, built his first art project of his life: A 40 foot long, 55 feet high fire spitting, laser beams for eyes, made of steel, work-of-art Praying Mantis art car for Burning Man. It was a present for his new wife. He’d never made even a ceramic mug before.

Ken Murdoch- wealthy investor- heard about The Mantis and felt inspired. Thus begins Kirk’s second art project of his life; an even more crazy large scale Bug- this time a SCORPION- for Ken.

The building of the Scorpion has been captured on camera, and the film will be finished fall of 2012.Trailer is here:

Built on a 1993, 28 foot long International boom truck, The Scorpion is a 55 feet long, 40 feet wide, 38 feet tall exact replica of a female emperor scorpion named Fluffy. The Scorpion boasts a computer controlled 7 gun flame thrower off the tail, 20 hydraulic points which make the arms legs, tail, and claws all move in a sinister spider manner including hydraulics which make the entire truck lift off the ground to produce the most eerie of effects. The project is “skinned”- as in made to look like an exact replica of a female emperor Scorpion with artistically placed and sculpted metal sheathing. The final touches are a steam punk look with rivets, textured fabrics and a patterned and highly mesmerizing light show.

Alongside Kirk, two full time employees: Coulson: a jenk star fabricator as his night job and Garrett: about to have his first baby the same time as the final touches were put on the Scorpion, helped make the project very colorful.

The Scorpion is owned and created by visionary and long term Burner Ken Murdoch.

She was concepted, designed and built by Kirk Jellum, who also made The Mantis- another 40 foot long, mobile, fire spitting bug.

Kirk, until 2010, designed and build intricate outer space technology, before retiring from that world to make art for Burning Man full time.

He considers the radical change of lifestyle to be crucial to the evolution of his mind and soul.

The Salt lake warehouse was rented and completely outfitted with metal worker machines to build the Scorpion, and is open for business to build other projects.

Built on a 1993 International 28 foot long Boom truck, the Scorpion took 3000 pounds of steel and 7 months to build.

Fabricator Garrett and his wife Sara did not attend Burning Man 2011 with the Scorpion, to give birth instead. It’s a Boy!

There are over 500 design hours and 3500 fabrication hours in the creation of the Scorpion.

The Scorpion is glad you let her out of your human imaginations.

She has a message for you, which is to embrace all of life, including your darkest nightmares.